The Pelicans used the 17th pick in this year’s NBA draft to select Virginia’s Trey Murphy. He averaged 11 points a game for the Cavaliers last season and shot a team-high 43-percent from three-point territory. Before his lone season at Virginia, he played two years at Rice, where he averaged 14 points a game as a sophomore.
They also selected Alabama’s Herb Jones with the 35th pick. Jones was named SEC Player of the Year last season.
Former LSU guard Cam Thomas was selected by the Brooklyn Nets with the 27th overall pick in the first round of last night’s NBA draft. In his only season in Baton Rouge, Thomas averaged 23 points per game and shot over 40 percent from the field for the Tigers. Thomas was considered a possible candidate for the Pelicans in the first round.
LSU stars Trendon Watford and Javonte Smart did not hear their names called in the draft. Watford has signed a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers and Javonte Smart has inked a contract with the Miami Heat. Watford averaged 16.3 points per game while Smart averaged 16 points a game. Smart led the SEC in three-point percentage with 40.2 percent.
The fourteen SEC presidents voted unanimously to invite both Texas and Oklahoma into the Southeastern Conference after the two schools announced that they would not renew their contracts with the Big 12. Tony Barnhart with the SEC Network and TMG Sports says these two schools leaving their conference is unique due to their high-profile programs.
Cut 3 (11) “with Oklahoma”
The Longhorns and Sooners will officially join the SEC in July of 2025.
The LSU football program received both good and bad news in the last few days. Tigers received a commitment from three-star tight end Mason Taylor out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Mason is the son of former NFL star Jason Taylor. But, LSU also lost a commitment from five-star safety Jacoby Matthews as he has announced that he is decommitting from the Tigers and re-opening his recruitment. The Ponchatoula native had been committed to LSU since November 2020.